Neal paced wildly back and forth. He glared at the case file without really seeing it. Moz walked in, a sheaf of papers in his hand.

"No word, huh?"

Neal shook his head, frowning and tossed down the file. "Last he was seen was at the courthouse. Got in his car, drove off..."

"Alone?"

"No-one saw anyone." Which didn't mean no-one was in the car, ducked down, with a gun on him. "Jones is trying to get the footage from the cameras in the area."

Mozzie nodded. "Well, I've looked into the guy he was at the courthouse to testify against. But it doesn't look like he'd be into this. Just a guy who got in way to deep in gambling and took it out with a little mortagage fraud. He was so scared of the loan sharks, he practically threw himself on the mercy of the court for his protection. Anything on the gallery theft?"

"No. I can't think about that now..."

"Why not? You don't really think it's a coincidence do you? You framed, him missing..."

Neal just looked at him and picked up a page of the file again, sighing.

Mozzie grabbed a few more pages and perused them. He started humming. Neal slowly looked up at him, eyes going wide. "Uh, Moz?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you humming Scooby-Doo Where are you?"

Mozzie jerked upright. "I am? Oh, sorry. There was this kid singing it nearby while I was waiting for the bus. Guess it got stuck in my head. Anyway, we could use one."

"One what?"

"Bloodhound."

"Scooby's not a bloodhound, he's a Great Dane."

Mozzie waved his hand. "Dog. Nose. Follow scent."

"If it were that easy we could get Satchmo or Bugsy to do it." Neal sighed, studying the pages.

"Okay, let's look at this another way. Someone who stole the painting, planted it here, and has done something to..." Mozzie trailed off at the expression on Neal's face. The dismay made him rephase..."kidnapped or lured off the suit. So someone with a grudge against both of you?"

Neal frowned, thinking. He ran a hand through his wavy dark hair. "It's not that I don't think they would Moz. But this partnership thing is pretty recent in terms of prison sentences. Most of them are locked up. Sure, they could hire someone I guess..."

"Or...it could just be someone out to get him?"

"Then why frame me?"

"You're practically joined at the hip these days."

Neal rolled his eyes. "Don't you mean the ankle?"

"To get him, they needed you out of the way. So either they've got a grudge against you both, or they know enough about his present circumstances to know that you are in the way."

Neal considered. "You'd think they'd worry about going after a fed if they were going to worry. The whole Bureau is in the way..." he looked sharply up at Mozzie. "Unless, they figured a CI could find out something the rest of the Bureau can't."

"You in particular. So they need them not to trust you."

Neal sighed, slid back in the chair. After staring at the ceiling for a moment he went to the refrigerator for a drink. His mouth was oddly dry, thinking of Peter in danger.

"Does Lady Suit know about the gallery connection?"

Neal winced and shook his head.

"Hm. Well, I wouldn't want to tell her either...but there could be an awful lot of old case files to go through if we're right."

"We can narrow it down...someone into art theft or at least burglary...and it's someone who I'm a threat too." That sounded strange to Neal when he said it. Him? A threat? He was a threat to someone's valuables, perhaps their ego. But with the exception of Fowler...and that due to extreme duress..he'd never threatened anyone as a con man. Of course if someone hurt Peter...he shoved the fear aside, refusing to look at it. He didn't want to know who he'd be, what he'd be, without Peter in his life.

"Um. Anyway. If you're not going to tell them..."

"I will if I have too...," Neal was unsure. If anything happened to Peter due to his hesitation he'd never forgive himself. "But for now, let's run with what we know and let them run with what they know. Two different sets of perspectives may be important anyway."

"Got to admit. That's why you and the Suit click. You're yin and yang, opposing perspectives."

Neal shook his head. "Spare me the philosophy, put away Confucious and pull out Sherlock Holmes..."

~ Earlier~

Peter strode out of the courthouse and climbed in the car. Starting the engine, he paused long enough to check his messages. He frowned at the number labeled 'Caffrey'. He'd called several times, it must be urgent. But El, was waiting, and he just had time to meet her for lunch. He pulled out into traffic and opened his mouth to tell the smart car applications to dial Neal. A flicker of movement and a cold touch at the back of his head made him twitch the wheel in surprise.

"No, don't call anyone and don't turn around."

Peter felt a chill in his stomach, eyes flicked to the mirror. "What do you want."

"You, Agent Burke. You and I are going for a ride.